Cattle-guard



I A. 'CRUI'CKSHANK.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1919.

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1 ATTORNEYS;

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CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1,1920.

Application filed April 22, 1919. Serial No. 291,823.

T 0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CRUICK- SHANK, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Matsqui, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to a cattle-guard designed to prevent cattle straying from a road crossing onto the right-ofway of a railway company. It belongs to that class wherein the weight of the animal acts to project upward a barrier to its progress along the track.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the guard, the full lines showing it in the normal position, and the dot and dash lines, as when the barrier is projected, and

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

In these drawings 2 represents the rails of the track and 3 the cross ties, the arrow indicating the line of approach from the road crossing. At the location of the guard a grid composed of longitudinal bars 4 secured to cross rails 5 is supported at the level of the rails between them and on each side on relatively short rocker arm 6, which are secured to project angularly upward and forward from the road crossing on rocking shafts 7 carried in bearings 8 secured to the cross ties at each end of the guard. The grids thus connect the rocking shafts 7 that they may move together.

On the rocking shaft 7 which is farther from the road crossing to be protected, light pointed rods 9 are secured between each pair of longitudinal bars 4 of the grid. These rods are lightly connected together and normally rest on the upper surface of the longitudinal bars 4. The grid and the barrier rods 9 are normally held in their out-of-a'ction position, that is, with the upper surface of the frames substantially level with the tops of the rails 2 and the outer ends of the barrier rods 9 resting on the uper surface of the grids, by counterweights 10 adjustably secured on levers 11 secured t each outer end of one of the rocking shafts 7.

In use, when the animal puts its feet on any part of the grid frame, that end of the frame is depressed and both rocking shafts 7 being connected together, they are moved forward and downward through an angle sufficient to project the ends of the rods 9 upward to a height that will obstruct the animals passage, and as he withdraws his feet from the grids, the counterweights 1O restore the frames to their normal position.

The barrier rods 9 will preferably be made of light material as it is not anticipated that they will be exposed to injury as a barrier, and it is desirable that if any part of a passing train that happens to hang low should encounter them, there will be no risk of injury to the train, and any damage to the guard will be localized, and will not disturb the operative mechanism.

The device has the advantage that it necessitates no interference with the ordiinary construction of the track. The rails are carried on the ties as at present, the guard forming a supplementary addition to the existing construction. Further, the grids themselves are virtually the same as are commonly used as a fixed grid to deter animals straying along a right-of-way.

In the device, which is the subject of this application the element of instability is added to that of unpleasant or insecure footing, and also the positive obstruction of the erected barrier.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cattle-guard, comprising in combination, grid frames between and on each side of the rails of the track, said frames composed of a series of longitudinal bars connected together by cross rails at each end, rocking shafts extending across below and adjacent each end of the frames, said shafts having relatively short arms projecting from the same side of the shafts toward one end of the grid frames and on which the grid frames are pivotally supported, a series of barrier rods secured to one of the rocking shafts and directed toward the opposite end of the frame and normally lying between the bars of the grid frames with the free end substantially level with the upper level of the frames and means for yieldably retaining the rocking shafts in position to support the grid frames on the arms in raised position.

2. A cattle guard comprising in combination grid frames between and on each side of the rails of the track, said gridf rames comprising a series of longitudinals having acute angled upper sides, the longitudinals being connected together at each end, roeking shafts disposed across beneath the frames adjacent to each end, and supported in bearings secured to the ties, a series of barrier rods secured to one of the rocking 1O shafts and directed toward the opposite end of the frames and normally lying between the bars of the grid frames With the free end substantially level with the upper level of the frames and means for yieldably retaining the rocking shafts in position to support the grid frames on the arms in raised position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER CRUICKSHANK. 

